1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to cooking apparatus that can use different fuels.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There have been previous inventions for allowing the use of different fuels in the same cooking apparatus, but none that are equivalent to the present invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,141,808, issued on Dec. 27, 1938, to Almer H. Brodbeck, discloses a combination solid and gaseous fuel cooking range. The instant invention is distinguishable, in that it has the solid and gas cooking elements in separate removable and exchangeable burning drawers, or in a single burning drawer that may be adapted to burn either kind of fuel.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,384,984, issued on Jul. 23, 1974, to Marvin C. Swanson and Harold R. Swanson, discloses a charcoal grill conversion apparatus, in which a grate is placed over a gas burner to allow the use of charcoal.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,819,614, issued on Apr. 11, 1989, to Robert J. Hitch, discloses a dual fuel barbeque grill, in which a compartment for burning charcoal is added to a gas or electric burner, rather than being substituted for a gas burner, as in the instant invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,481,965, issued on Jan. 9, 1996, to Leonard Kronman, discloses a rack and screen assembly for converting gas grilles into charcoal and/or wood burning stations, which is added over the gas burner, rather than being substituted for it, as in the instant invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,524,610, issued on Jun. 11, 1996, to John D. Clark, discloses a cooking device that combines elements for cooking food with solar power, charcoal, gas and other means, all in one non-removable compartment.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,711,209, issued on Jan. 27, 1998, to James T. Guines, discloses a barbeque stove that can use heating means such as wood, coal, charcoal, gas or electricity, but without the removable and exchangeable gas and solid fuel burning drawers of the instant invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,878,739, issued on Mar. 9, 1999, to Gregg A. Guidry, discloses a combination gas and charcoal grill, in which the gas and charcoal burning elements are present simultaneously.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,000,389, issued on Dec. 14, 1999, to Gerald Alpert, discloses a combination gas and charcoal grill, including a housing, a heat distribution element, a gas burner, and an ash pan drawer, but without the removable and exchangeable burning drawers of the instant invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,050,177, issued on Apr. 18, 2000, to O. L. Lassig, Jr., discloses a multi-fuel, fuel isolated cooker, with separate drawers for solid fuel, gas and electric heating, where the food is isolated from direct contact with the heat source. The instant invention is distinguishable, because in it the food is directly over the gas or solid fuel.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,161,534, issued on Dec. 19, 2000, to Leonard Kronman, discloses a method and apparatus for converting a gas grill to a charcoal burning grill, without removing the gas burners.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,173,644, issued on Jan. 16, 2001, to Michael A. Krall, discloses an apparatus for converting a gas grill into a charcoal burning grill, including an adapter container for holding the charcoal covered by a screen, without removing the gas burners, as in the instant invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,182,560, issued on Feb. 6, 2001, to Alphonso G. Andress, discloses a multi-level barbeque grill that may use either gas or charcoal, but without the removable and exchangeable burning drawers of the instant invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,523,461, issued on Feb. 25, 2003, to Robert Johnson and Bradley G. Gillespie, discloses a charcoal tray and cooking rack to permit the use of charcoal in a gas grill, without removing the gas burners.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,640,800, issued on Nov. 4, 2003, to David A. Hodgson and Ginny Hodgson, discloses a multiple fuel cooking apparatus, that may use either gas, charcoal briquettes or smoking chips, but does not disclose the removable and exchangeable burning drawers of the instant invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,923,110, issued on Aug. 2, 2005, to Jean Alazet, discloses a vertical-pit barbeque using charcoal, lava rock, wood, gas and other fuels.
U.S. Pat. No. Des. 386,044, issued on Nov. 11, 1997, to Robert M. Stuck, discloses a design for a gas-fired burner with charcoal briquette support.
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2003/0177913, issued on Sep. 25, 2003, to J. Scott Dellinger, discloses a flap assembly for enabling the use of charcoal over gas burners.
Japanese Patent No. 2001-248843, published on Sep. 14, 2001, inventor Masashiro Miura, discloses a heating implement with combined charcoal fire and gas cooking appliances.
None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed.